TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Norbury Pet Health Centre.  This letter details our practice terms and conditions.  To allow us to fully comply with the various regulatory authorities we have decided to ask new clients to sign a registration form.  The form will detail that you have received these notes. It also includes consent for the occasions in our canine and feline patients where we have to prescribe commonly used (usually human) medicines that have not been specifically licensed for dogs and cats.  We might ask for further informed consent if we consider the use of these medicines might be potentially dangerous to your pet, e.g. cancer treatment drugs.  In the case of small mammals, almost none of the medicines we use are licensed in these species as there is little financial gain for the drug companies for doing so and you must accept this is the case for us to provide meaningful treatment.

Some aspects of the terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

FEES

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate.

Unfortunately, there is no National Health Service for pets and as a result you are responsible for the payment of your pets veterinary bills.  Payment for all work will be expected at the time the work is carried out.

Norbury Pet Health Centre provides caring, conscientious modern treatment for your pets but there is no escaping, that in order to be here next year and beyond, we rely on you to pay us for the service we provide.  Drugs and supplies together with staff salaries account for the majority of your account.  We need your prompt payment to meet our obligations to our staff and suppliers.

When you register at this practice you agree to settle fees at the time of consultation or on collection of your pet after an operation or hospitalisation or upon collection of drugs/diets.

We accept cash and for your convenience, most credit and debit cards.  We make no surcharges for the use of credit cards.  We are sorry but we can no longer accept payments by cheque.

SETTLEMENT TERMS

Payment will be requested at the time of treatment from all new clients.  Accounts are processed and invoices issued every month and payment is requested within 14 days of the invoice date.  In the event of non payment within one month, one further reminder with a non deductable administration charge will be sent.  Overdue accounts, after due notice to you, will be referred to our debt collection agency or the county courts if satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been mad with ourselves.  This will incur you further costs whilst collecting the debt.

Any cheque which you issue  which is returned unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured, and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in your account being restored to the original sum together with any fees incurred in the process.

Persistent late payment will result in the need for all fees to be paid at the time of treatment or withdrawal of our veterinary services.

INABILITY TO PAY

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to pay your account we ask you to discuss the matter with a member of staff as soon as possible and before treatment takes place.  Please note that installments or part payments may ONLY be sanctioned with express permission of a senior member of staff and before treatment takes place.  Emergency treatment to alleviate suffering will always be given irrespective of ability to pay.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE

Norbury Pet Health Centre strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents.  This means that you can choose the very best and most complete course of treatment, including expert referral if necessary, without having to worry about the cost.  As with all insurance, please survey a variety of companies to select the right cover for your circumstances at a reasonable cost.  In order to make a claim, you must submit a completed and signed claims form to us, to which we will add the veterinary information before posting to the insurance company on your behalf.  Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle your account and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company.

All dog owners should ensure that they have third party cover as you are, in law, responsible for the actions of your dog.  This could, at worst, involve compensating a family for the death of a person, if your dog causes them to crash their car.  Pet insurance usually covers for this risk, as can some household insurance.  It is definitely worthwhile checking that you are covered.

DIRECT CLAIMS TO PET INSURANCE COMPANIES

In exceptional circumstances, and at the discretion of a senior member of staff, we may agree to a direct claim to an insurance company on your behalf, leaving you only the policy excess and any policy exclusions to be paid at the time of treatment.  In order to do this, we will require the following at the time of treatment-

–  We need to have sight, and take a copy, of the original policy document.

–  We need a signed claims form. Please obtain one at your earliest convenience and keep it with your insurance policy.

–  We will ask you to sign a disclosure form which authorises Norbury Pet Health Centre to discuss your claim with your insurance company.

–  Your signature on this form also signifies your consent to pay Norbury Pet Health Centre any outstanding balance after settlement of the claim.

–  You remain liable for the full amount of the account at all times.  Where there is an unacceptable delay or where the insurance company refuses to pay, we shall ask you to make immediate settlement of the account.  Should you be unable to produce a signed claim form within 14 days of request, you  will settle your account with us in full.

ESTIMATES

We will happily provide you with a written estimate of the probable costs of a course of treatment.  Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate as often an illness will not follow a conventional course.  We will always try to keep you informed of costs as they arise.

CONSULTATIONS AND CHECK-UPS

When we take on a case, it becomes our responsibility to attend the patient as dictated by the clinical opinion of the veterinary surgeon in charge of the case, and an appropriate consultation fee is charged on each occasion to cover the veterinary surgeon’s and nurses time and use of our facility.

The first examination for a particular problem attracts a routine consultation fee.  Where a more complex problem is present an extended consultation fee might be charged.  A consultation fee, usually at a reduced level, is charged for each subsequent examination concerning the particular problem dependant on the amount of time required to review your pet’s condition, perform any treatments, produce any reports or letter and outline treatment options.

We offer a free puppy or free kitten check for newly acquired healthy animals that are under vaccination age and where the pet is to attend the veterinary practice for vaccinations.  Where an animal is reported ill, or is obviously ill on presentation, or the client does not attend for the recommended vaccines for their pet, we reserve the right to charge the normal practice fees.

Generally, planned, brief post operative examinations up to and including stitch removal are included in the operation fee but extra work caused by neglect or failure to follow instructions are chargeable.  All bandage changes are chargeable.

LATE AND MISSED APPOINTMENTS

When you make an appointment or book a procedure with us, we set aside time exclusively for you and your pet and if you miss your appointment, this time is wasted.  If you are late, we may not be able to give you the full time originally set aside for you in consideration of the schedule of following clients.  We ask you to please bear this in mind  and call if for whatever reason you are running late or are unable to make your appointment at the scheduled time.  We may then offer this time to someone else who may need it more urgently.

PREPAYMENT

We are able to organise payment facilities for planned work such as bitch spays so that by the day of the operation, the fee is already paid.  We can also provide treatment vouchers to be given as presents to friends or relatives who are registered with the practice.

COMPLAINTS AND STANDARDS

We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from Norbury Pet Health Centre.  However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to Nicky Gurrin.

We are always pleased to receive feedback on the service we provide.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS

The treatment of your pet may involve making specific investigations, for example, taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans.  Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results, the ownership of the resulting record, for example, a radiograph, remains with us.

RETURNED MEDICINES

Under the terms of the medicines act we are no longer able to give any credit for unused and returned medicines.  However we shall, at our cost accept them and pay for their safe disposal, if we have provided them for you.  Please bear this in mind when requesting a long term supply of medicines.  We reserve the right to make a charge for the safe disposal of medicines not provided by us.

PRESCRIPTIONS AND SUPPLY OF MEDICINES

We can only supply veterinary medicines, worming tablets, flea treatments etc., to animals under our care.  Please note that the law requires regular check-ups at least every 3-4months but this may vary with the individual circumstance.  There is a charge for re-examination.  Prescriptions are available from the practice for a charge of £10.00.  The prescriptions we issue will be generated by our computerised practice management system and will form an integral part of your pets clinical record.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

Please give us at least 24 hours by telephone or in person before collecting medication so we can ensure that it is ready for you.  Requests made on a Friday may not be available until monday afternoon due to our deliveries.

AFTER HOURS SERVICES

Emergencies and urgent enquiries occurring after normal surgery hours are redirected to SLEVC at 23 the High Parade, Streatham High road, London SW16 1EX.  SLEVC is an independent service provider offering consultations by appointment.  Clients requiring an appointment or details of their services and business terms may telephone SLEVC on 020 8677 0976.

VACCINATION REMINDERS

Whilst we make every effort to send out reminders for annual vaccinations, the responsibility to keep them up to date remains with you.  In particular, please be aware that PETS passports requires rabies vaccination boosters to ensure they are valid so please keep a record of when this is due.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by Nicky Gurrin.  In addition, no agent or person employed by, or under contract with, the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.

This page details the practice terms and conditions at Norbury Pet Health Centre in Norbury, London. Some aspects of the terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you contact us and ask for further clarification if required.

FEES

All fees, diets, and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables, and diets used.

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet, or upon collection of drugs/diets. You may settle the account using cash, credit, or debit card.